perrypawnpusher - ZekeTheWolf
blitz, FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.
4.Bxf7+
The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.
If you play the BSG at FICS (Free Internet Chess Server), sooner or later you will encounter the BSJG. Before this game, according to The Database, ZekeTheWolf had met it 24 times, winning 10. That's scoring 40%, not quite the score of Black as a whole for the BSJG in 4,272 games in The Database - 44%,
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke7
Our earlier game continued very differently - 5...Ke8 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 Nxc2+ perrypawnpusher, ZekeTheWolf, blitz, FICS, 2010, (1-0, 30).
6.c3
I tried 6.Qh5?! once, but it did not turn out well in perrypawnpusher - vlas, blitz, FICS, 2009 (0-1, 26).
6...Ne6 7.d4
Here we have a bit of a "free form" position, where Black's one weakness is the placement of his King. His extra piece for two pawns gives him an edge, but he has to put together a plan and execute it before he can think about gathering in the point.
7...d6 8.Nd3 g6 9.f4 Ke8 10.O-O Bg7
Here White would probably do best to patiently continue his development with 11.Be3 and 12.Nd2.
11.f5 gxf5
By voluntarily opening the e8-h5 diagonal, Black, makes his King's life more difficult. After the game, Houdini suggested the curious 11...Ng5!?, with pressure on White's e-pawn, as a way to keep the game in balance.
12.exf5
Okay, but 12.Qh5+ Kd7 13.d5 would have really shaken things up.
Black now decides it is time to give a piece back.
12...Nxd4 13.cxd4 Bxd4+ 14.Kh1 Nf6
There is a hole in this line that both ZekeTheWolf and I overlooked, which would have made 14...Qf6 the better move.
15.Nc3
Again, okay, but missing the fork 15.Qa4+.
15...Rg8 16.Re1+
Ditto.
16... Kf7 17.Qf3 Bxc3 18.bxc3
If White has an advantage any more, it is in his better development and safer King. Unfortunately, Black now follows a defensive maxim (to diffuse an attack, exchange pieces) that immediately shifts things back toward the first player.
18...Re8 19.Bg5 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Qd7 21.Re6 Ng8 22.Qh5+
Black resigned
Let's face it. When it comes to chess playing "strength", I compare to other club players the way the Jerome Gambit compares to other chess openings.
Still, the "worst chess opening in the world" continues to provide me with interesting positions and creative opportunities (even if I often miss them) - and, by studying my games, I hope to learn more and more about what I should already know...
perrypawnpusher - fogab
blitz, FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
The Database says that I have reached this position 47 times, scoring 80%.
10.0-0 Rf8 11.f4 Qe7 12.Nc3 b6
Black seems to be multi-tasking here. He prepares to castle-by-hand, puts his Queen on the useful e7 square, and looks to fianchetto his Bishop.
I might as well add two more ideas: harassing White's Queen with 12...Ng4 as in perrypawnpusher - obturator, blitz, FICS, 2012 (1-0, 31); and protecting the d5 square with 12...c6 as in perrypawnpusher - parlance, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 20).
13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qf4
This is not an improvement on the straight forward 15.Qd3 which would give White an advantage.
Interestingly enough, the one other game in The Database with this position after 14 moves now saw 15.Qg5 which ended well for White in 32 moves in holofernes - kdosch, FICS, 2001.
15...Nh5
A mistake which should allow White to correct his Queen placement - and more. This is what I meant in my introductory remarks: when I falter, sometimes the Jerome Gambit (admittedly, with the help of my opponent) gives me a hand.
By the way, one way for Black to take advantage of White's uncertainty about Queen placement was to continue to put pressure on the center with 15...c5, although after the tactical tap dance 16.b3 cxd4 17.Nb5 a6 18.Nxd4 Ne5 not a lot has been decided; Black's King is still in the center, and White can try 19.Ba3!?.
16.Qg4
Why is it that Bill Wall can run his Queen all over the board, and it always looks like he is doing the right thing, while my monarch always seems to look like she's scattered and losing her marbles...?
Instead of the text, 16.Qf3 was correct, with the direct threat to Black's Knight on h5 and the upcoming exposed threat to his Rook on a8, after e4-e5.
Black can then defend with 16...Qf7 17.e5 Rb8, but White's annoying "Jerome pawn" will advance with 18.e6, creating an interesting tactical situation. If then 18...Bxe6,White can simply capture the Bishop, but he can also try 19.Bg5!? taking advantage of Black's weakness along the e-file, and White's available Rook at a1. This is shown most clearly in the line 19...Bxf5 20.Rae1+ Kd7 21.Re7+ Qxe7 22.Bxe7 Nd2 23.Qxh5 Nxf1 24.Bxf8 Rxf8.
Instead, Black can try to further distract things (after 19.Bg5!?) with 19...Nd2 but the same themes come into effect, to a smaller degree, after 20.Qc6+ Qd7 21.Qxd7+ Bxd7 22.Rfe1+ Kf7 23.Re7+ Kg8 24.Rxd7 Nc4 25.g4 Nf6 26.Rxc7 Rbc8 27.Rxc8 Rxc8 28.Bxf6 gxf6 29.Nd5.
I admit that I looked at these lines with Houdini after the game, but how hard would it have been for a regular, ordinary club chess player to come up with most of this?
At this point I imagine that the ghost of Alonzo Wheeler Jerome was tapping his foot in disappointment.
16...Nf6 17.Qh4
Nope. The Queen needed to go to e2, and from there support e4-e5 with a slight edge.
Now Black can even the game out with the deflating 17...Nxe4 18.Qxe4 Qxe4 19.Nxe4 Bxf5. White would not be losing, but he would not be winning, either.
17...Bb7 18.b3 Na5 19.Bg5 h6 20.Bxf6 Qxf6 21.Qh5+ Rf7 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 Qg5
24.Qxg5 hxg5 25.Rae1
Despite White's menacing "Jerome pawns" and Black's broken Kingside structure, the second player has the advantage. His plan to improve his worst-placed piece, however, is not best.
25...Nc6 26.e6 Rf6 27.Nd5 Black resigned
A puzzling outcome, all around. Quite possibly my opponent was simply tired of the game, and surrendering the exchange was the last straw.
Yet, after 27...Rd8 28.Nxf6+ gxf6 Black's Knight and Bishop look a lot more frisky than White's Rook and two pawns. I would have swapped Rooks with 29.Rd1 Rxd1 30.Rxd1, but then, as long as Black keeps White's Rook off of d7, what is there to worry about?
Here's that "overlooked" Jerome Gambit game that I mentioned in my last post, "Another Error, Another Win". It's a painful one to play over, as my opponent offered me an escape from a difficult situation, and I missed it.
perrypawnpusher - alvarzr
blitz, FICS, 2013
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8
8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6
Or 9...d5 as in Wall,B - Guest497592, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 23).
10.Nc3 d6
Or 10...Kf7 11.0-0 Rf8 as in perrypawnpusher - frencheng, 20 5 blitz, FICS, 2010 (½-½, 34).
11.0-0 b6
Instead, Black got more aggressive with 11...Be6 12.f4 Ng4 13.Qg3 Qh4 in Wall,B - Hirami,Z, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 20) and with
11...Ng4 in Wall,B - CKSP, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 15); but more careful (castling-by-hand) with 11...Rf8 12.f4 Kf7 in perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 36).
12.f4 Bb7 13.d3
The more forward 13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 followed in perrypawnpusher-Navarrra, blitz, FICS, 2011 (24) and perrypawnpusher - MarkHundleby1, Chess.com, 2013 (1-0, 27).
13...Kd7
Or 13...a6 14.b3 Kd7 15.Ba3 Rae8 as in perrypawnpusher -MRBarupal, blitz, 2010 (0-1, 22)
14.Bd2
A bit better was 14.Qh3+ Ke8 15.b3.
14...Rae8 15.Rae1 Rhf8
One of the reasons that I have shared a lot of links above is to show how many ideas grow out of these Jerome Gambit positions. In the current game, however, as things went on, I began to think less and push pieces more, and this is never a good thing.
16.Qd4 Kc8 17.Qa4 Nd7 18.Qxa7 Nc5 19.Qa3
Pawn grabbing with the Queen is not such a deep idea. Instead, it was time to be more dynamic with play like 19.b4 Na6 20.b5 Nc5 21.f5 Nh8 22.Nd5.
19...Qh4 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.exd5 Rxe1
22.Rxe1
After the game, Houdini suggested that I should have started looking for a draw here with 22.Qa8+ Kd7 23.Qc6+ Kd8 24.Rxe1 Ne7 25.Qa8+ Nc8 26.g3 Qg4 27.Kg2 Re8 28.Rxe8+ Kxe8 29.b4 Qe2+ 30.Kh3 Qh5+ 31.Kg2 Qe2+ 32.Kh3 Qh5+
22...Kb7 23.g3 Qg4 24.Qc3
Overlooking danger: 24.d4 was necessary.
24...Nxf4
Even stronger: 24...Nh4.
25.Bxf4 Rxf4 26.b4
One last gasp. Where's a good swindle when you need one?
26...Nd7
That should do it. Of course, 26...Rxb4 keeps Black on top.
27.Qc6+
Now White can answer 27...Ka7 with 28.Qxc7+ Ka6 29.b5+ Ka5 30.Qc3+ Ka4 31.Qb3+ Ka5 32.c4 Rxc4 33.dxc4 Qd4+ 34.Re3 and advantage - if he sees it.
27...Kc8 28.Qa8+
Yipes! Instead, my opponent walks into a mate-in-one (28.Re8#) - and I miss it.
We both deserve to lose. I deserved it more.
28...Nb8 29.Re8+ Kd7 30.Re1
Alas, capturing Black's Knight allows him to checkmate me.
30...Rf8 31.Qa4+ Kc8 32.c4 Qd4+ 33.Kh1 Qf2 34.Re8+ Rxe8 35.Qxe8+ Kb7 36.h4 Qxg3 37.Qe4 Qf2 38.Qg2 Qxg2+ 39.Kxg2 Nd7
The endgame is fairly won for Black.
40.d4 b5 41.c5 Nf6 42.cxd6 cxd6 43.Kf3 Nxd5 44.a3 Nc3 45.Kf4 Nb1 46.Kf5 Nxa3 47.Ke6 Kc7 48.Kf7 g6 49.Kg7 Nc2 50.Kxh7 Nxb4 51.Kxg6 Nd5
White's King has gotten his exercise, but it doesn't save the game.
52.Kf5 Nc3 53.h5 b4 54.h6 b3 55.h7 b2 56.h8Q b1Q+ 57.Ke6 Qe4+ 58.Kf7 Qf5+ 59.Ke7 Nd5+ White resigned
Some day, maybe, I will get caught.
Oh, wait a minute. I already did get caught.
Some day, maybe, I will learn.
Oh, wait a minute, I once did know.
Well - next time I hope to remember...
In the meantime here's another Jerome Gambit game where I made what I knew was the wrong move, because I couldn't remember why it was wrong.
And I won in a near-miniature, anyhow.
perrypawnpusher - alvarzr
2 12, FICS, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Kf6
Last year my game against the same opponent continued 7...Ke8 8.Qxc5 Qe7 9.Qe3 Nf6 and I was out-played in a pitched battle, (missing one chance at a saving swindle) in perrypawnpusher - alvarzr, blitz, FICS, 2013, (0-1, 59). Hmmm... Looks like I haven't posted that game yet. My bad.
8.d4
I played this move even though I knew it was not the best move.
I had forgotten 8.Qxc5 d6 (8...Qe7 9.Qf5# perrypawnpusher - zsilber, blitz, FICS, 2010) 9.Qe3, with an edge for Black in perrypawnpusher - useche, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22) and perrypawnpusher - wbrandl, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 28).
8...Bxd4
Black doubles my error and sends it back to me...
In a game six years ago my opponent back then played the correct 8...Bb4+!?, but after 9.c3 he tried 9...c6 and after 10.Qg5+ I was on my way to sweet victory in perrypawnpusher - whitepandora, blitz, FICS, 2008 (1-0, 41).
A more recent game - the analysis from this blog should still have been clear in my memory - saw 8...h6 9.Qxc5 with Black a bit better, in perrypawnpusher - tjaksi, blitz, FICS, 2013 (1-0, 16).
9.Qg5+
This is fine, but 9.Bg5 would have been checkmate. (And 10.Bg5 would have been checkmate against whitepandora, too!)
9...Ke6 10.Qxd8
These kind of positions make me verrrrrrry nervous. Sure, White has a Queen and a pawn for only two pieces, but that's the problem - what if I get overconfident and blunder it all away? (Sure, that would be almost as bad as losing to the Jerome Gambit, right?)
10...N8e7 11.Qxc7 Ne5 12.Qa5 b6 13.Qd2 Bc5 14.Nc3
I briefly looked at 14.b4!? but quickly decided that I didn't need more material, I needed to escape with what I had and to find a settled position. (Thanks, Dan Heisman.)
14...Ba6 15.Nd5!? Rac8 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.Qg5+ Ke6 18.Qf5+ Kd6 19.Bf4 Rce8 20.0-0-0+
Hold the Xanax. I think I've got things under control now.
20...Kc6 21.Bxe5 Black resigned
An enjoyable game, the following contest ends up with White having the choice of three different ways of delivering checkmate, depending which piece he wants to use!
Wall,B - Guest5541035
PlayChess.com, 2014
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Qf6
A nice change from the "annoying defense" 7...d6.
The first example that I have of 7...Qf6 in my notes is from NM Eric Schiller's Unorthodox Chess Openings (1998). Calling 6...Ke6 "the real test of the opening" he notes, after 7.f4
White will win back one of the sacrificed pieces. Black should react calmly by developing and protecting the king. It is useful to keep in mind that for an attack to succeed the attacker usually requires greater force than that which defends the king. Here the Black king is surrounded by pieces, and White has only the queen and a pair of pawns. The Black king can retreat to e7, but this would confine the Black queen. Therefore the correct move [7...Qf6] suggests itself.
8.Rf1
This seems stronger than Schiller's recommended 8.Nc3.
The Database has 9 game examples with 8.Nc3, with Black (including Wall, once) winning 6 of them (White scores 33%). This is opposed to 52 games with 8.Rf1, with White winning 32 (scoring 62%).
Bill warns against 8.fxe5? Qf2+ 9.Kd1 Qxg2.
8...g6
Or 8...Ne7 9.fxe5 Qxe5.
9.Qh3+
Threatening 10.fxe5.
Not 9.fxe5? Qxf1+ 10.Kxf1 gxh5 or 9.Qd1? Qh4+ 10.g3 Qxh2 11.fxe5 Qxg3+ 12.Rf2 Qxf2#.
9...Ke7
Two alternatives:
9...Kf7? 10.fxe5 Qxf1+ 11.Kxf1 d6 12.Qc3 Black resigned, Wall,B - Guest1690223, PlayChess.com. 2012;
9...Ng4 10.Qxg4+ Ke7 11.Nc3 d6? 12.Nd5+ Wall,B - Guest3164644, PlayChess.com 2013 (1-0, 20).
10.Nc3
Threatening 11.Nd5+ forking King and Queen. White could also grab back a piece with 10.fxe5.
10...d6
Less tricky, but perhaps a bit more prudent, is 10...c6 as seen in Wall,B - XCCY, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 21)]
11.Nd5+ Kf7
Better is 11...Kd8, as long as Black doesn't slip like 12.Qg3 Qe6 13.fxe5 dxe5 14.d4 Ne7? as in Wall, B - Aburasian, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 33).
Of course not 11...Ke8? when 12.Nxf6+ gains Black's Queen with check.
12.Qb3 Qh4+
It was time to give some material back. Not 12...Qe6? 13.fxe5+ Kg7 14.Nxc7; but maybe 12...Nf3+ 13.Rxf3 Qh4+ or even 12...Nd3+!?.
13.g3
Simplest. As Bill notes, if 13.Kd1? Bg4+; and there is no need to protect the h-pawn with 13.Qg3 Qxg3+ 14.hxg3 Nc6 when Black retains his two extra pieces.
13...Qg4
Maybe Black now saw that 13...Qxh2 would be well-answered by 14.fxe5+. If so, it is a shame that he didn't press further to find 13...Nf3+!? 14.Qxf3 Qxh2 (about even) or 14...Qh5!?
Now White takes over.
14.fxe5+ Kg7
Retreating elsewhere brings disaster.
15.d3
Taking care of business, first. Instead, 15.Nxc7?? is a horror show after 15...Qxe4+.
15...dxe5
Instead, 15...c6? can boomarang, for example: 16.Qc3 cxd5 17.e6+ Nf6 18.Qxf6+ Kg8 19.Qf7#
16.Nxc7
Bill shows that the alternative, 16.Qc3, looks pretty trappy and good for White after 16...Bd4 17.Qxc7+ Bd7 18.Rf5!? gxf5 19.Qxd7+ Kg6 20.c3.
But if Black answers solidly, instead, with 16...Bd6, then White has only 17.Nxc7, when 17...Nf6!? might come as quite a shock. Houdini says then that after 18.Nxa8 Qh5 19.h4 Bh3 20.Rf2 Rxa8 Black's two pieces will balance out White's Rook and two pawns.
Tricky play!
But, now Black blunders.
16...Rb8??
17.Ne8 checkmate.
Or 17.Qf7 checkmate.
Or 17.Rf7 checkmate
[Continued from New Year's Day.]
perrypawnpusher - spince
blitz, FICS, 2013
11.f4 Qf7 12.f5 Bd7 13.Bg5
Putting pressure on f6 was a good idea, but this was better achieved by 13.Bd4!?, e.g. 13...Kg8 (it is too late for 13...c5 because of 14.f6, anyway) 14.f6 gxf6 15.Rxf6 Bc5 16.Rxf7 Bxd4+ 17.Kh1 Kxf7 when White would have a Queen and two pawns for a Rook and two Bishops - but Black's less stable King might give White an edge.
13...Ke8
An alternative was 13...h6 14.Bxe7+ Bxe7 15.e5 Be8 when White's advancing "Jerome pawns" balance things out.
14.f6
Thematic, but too soon.
I did not realize how "too soon" it was until after the game, when I asked Houdini's opinion, and it suggested a patient line somewhat more exciting that watching paint dry - but which might lead to a slight edge for White: 14.d4 h6 15.Bh4 g5 16.Bf2 Rf8 17.Qe2 Bb4 18.Nd1 Kd8 19.Ne3 Bd6 20.Nc4 Qe8 21.Ne5 Kc8 22.c4 Ng8 23.Nxd7 Qxd7 24.Be3 b6 25.e5 Be7 26.Qf3 Kb7 27.Rad1 Rae8.
analysis diagram
14...Ng6
This gives up the exchange, but Black did not want to pursue 14...gxf6 15.Rxf6.
15.fxg7 Qxg7 16.Bf6 Qf8 17.Bxh8 Qxh8 18.Qf3
Also possible was 18.d4.
White has a Rook and two pawns against Black's two Bishops.
Unfortunately, the next handful of moves is spoiled by mutual Amaurosis scacchistica - chess blindness.
18...Kd8 19.Rf2? Kc8? 20.h3? b6 21.Raf1? Kb7 22.Qf7? Rd8
Black has worked hard to safeguard his King, missing opportunities to win the exchange with ...Bc5, and, later, to launch a strong attack with ...Qe5.
Now he misses his last chance, although he still may maintain a small edge.
Speaking of "small", alas, that begins to refer to the amount of time that Black has remaining on his clock.
23.Qf6 Be5 24.Qxh8 Bxh8 25.Rf7 Be6 26.Rxh7 Bxa2
An unfortunate time slip.
27.Nxa2 Bd4+ 28.Kh1 Nh4 29.c3 Black forfeited on time
I noticed that the "Improving Chess Player" blog, in its not-too-long-ago "Feeling Ornery - Play the Traxler" presented the game Reinisch v. Traxler (1890) - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Nd4+ 7.Kd3 b5 8.Bb3 Nxe4 9.Nxd8 Nc5+ 10.Kc3 Ne2+ 11.Qxe2 Bd4+ 12.Kb4 a5+ 13.Kxb5 Ba6+ 14.Kxa5 Bd3+ 15.Kb4 Na6+ 16.Ka4 Nb4+ 17.Kxb4 c5 checkmate - and gave Traxler's notes which indicate that the line "somewhat resembles the Blackmar-Jerome gambit".
As I've puzzled before, what is the link, if any, between Armand Blackmar (of 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.f3) and Alonzo Wheeler Jerome (of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+)?
I left a mesage at the website to see if blogger Glenn Mitchell could enlighten me. However, I got a quick email in response - no, he does not know the history of the "Blackmar-Jerome gambit".
My current hypothesis - complete speculation at this point - is that Traxler, writing in the October 11, 1892, chess column of Golden Prague, recalled the infamous Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885 Jerome Gambit game and wanted to credit the successful master; but, in drawing up his note for Reinisch - Traxler, he erroniously attached "Blackmar" - instead of "Blackburne" - to "Jerome Gambit".
That would solve another "naming" problem, the first one being Blackburne referring to the Jerome Gambit as the "Kentucky Opening" - see "The Kentucky Opening Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4".
